Several leaders of the INDIA bloc parties, including Congress, on Sunday, slammed the BJP for the remarks made by its MPs, Nishikant Dubey and Dinesh Sharma, on judiciary and asked the saffron party why no action was being taken against them.

The BJP, however, has distanced itself from the remarks made by both its MPs. Its national president JP Nadda,calling the remarks their personal opinion, said the party has always respected the judiciary.

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Dubey, a four-time MP and prominent leader of the BJP’s Jharkhand unit, stoked a controversy after he told a news agency that the “Supreme Court is responsible for inciting religious wars in the country. The Supreme Court is going beyond its limits. If one has to go to the Supreme Court for everything , then Parliament and the Assembly should be shut… Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna is responsible for all the civil wars happening in this country.”

Endorsing Dubey, Sharma, the former deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, said, “According to the Constitution of India, no one can direct the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. No one can challenge the President as she is supreme.”

Attacking the BJP, Congress general secretary in-charge of Communications Jairam Ramesh wrote in a post on X, “The distancing of the outgoing BJP president from the atrocious remarks made by two BJP MPs on the Chief Justice of India carries little meaning. These MPs are repeat offenders when it comes to hate speech and are very often used by G2 to attack communities, institutions, and individuals.”

He said Nadda’s clarification is nothing but damage control.

“It will fool nobody. This is entire political science reflecting itself as entire political hypocrisy. But the outgoing BJP president is totally silent on equally unacceptable remarks on the judiciary that are continually made by one of its very distinguished appointees to a high Constitutional position. What does he have to say about these remarks? Does the BJP subscribe to them?,” Ramesh said.

Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, “If the continued silence of the Prime Minister on these repeated attacks on the Indian Constitution is not tacitly supportive of them, why has no action been taken against these two MPs? Has Nadda ji issued show-cause notices to these two MPs?.”

Echoing similar sentiments, Congress MP Mukul Wasnik has demanded expulsion of both the MPs from the party. “The minimum action called for against the BJP MPs who made the most atrocious comments against the CJI and the Supreme Court is to expel them from the party. But will the BJP’s outgoing president go beyond merely warning the MPs? We know that no action will be taken,” he wrote on X.

Castigating the BJP for the MPs’ remarks, Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhliesh Yadav said whatever was said is the thinking of the BJP.

Accusing the BJP of indulging in divisive politics, he told reporters in Prayagraj, “If anyone is creating rifts between religions, then it is the BJP. The BJP is dividing the society in the name of religion and caste. This is a very well planned program. Whatever was said is the thinking of the BJP.”

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and former Bihar Deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav demanded contempt proceedings to be initiated against them. “Such comments should not be made on the Court. If someone makes such a comment, then contempt proceedings should be initiated,” he told reporters in Patna.

Amid criticism from the Opposition, Nadda wrote on X, “BJP has nothing to do with the statements made by BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey and Dinesh Sharma on the judiciary and the Chief Justice of India. This is their personal statement, but BJP neither agrees with such statements nor does it ever support them. BJP completely rejects these statements.”

“BJP has always respected the judiciary and gladly accepted its orders and suggestions because as a party we believe that all the courts of the country including the Supreme Court are an integral part of our democracy and are the strong pillar of the protection of the Constitution. I have instructed both of them and everyone else not to make such statements,” he said.